Christopher Walken recounts ill-fated Star Wars audition: ‘I didn’t come remotely close to getting the job’

Actor believes he’d have been ‘awful’ as Han Solo

Christopher Walken has reflected on his ill-fated audition for the role of Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise.

The actor told the Financial Times in a recent interview: “I did audition [for Star Wars] but I don’t think I came remotely close to getting the job.

“About 500 other actors auditioned, so it wasn’t as if it was down to me and somebody else.”

The role, of course, eventually went to Harrison Ford, who portrayed the Millennium Falcon captain in the three original Star Wars films between 1977 and 1983, before reprising the part in the 2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens and in the 2019 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

In the same interview, Walken mentioned he auditioned for the part of Oliver Barrett IV, the male lead in the 1970 drama Love Story.

“In both those cases I was lucky because I’d have been awful in them,” Walker said.

Oliver was portrayed by Ryan O’Neal, who received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.